A polymer is a macromolecule composed of repeating structural units of monomers. Wide ranges of properties of polymers are achieved through selection of a base polymer and a property modifying agent. Various types of polymer property modifying agents are known and they belong to different categories depending upon their chemical structure or chemical/physical properties or the manner in which they modify the polymers. Examples of such broader categories of the polymer property modifying agents include surfactants to stabilize emulsion polymers, chain transfer agents and other polymerization modifiers to control molecular weight, plasticizers to increase flexibility, stabilizers to prevent polymer degradation, and cross-linkers used to modify polymer networks and the like. Apart from the above mentioned agents, the property modifying agents also include various substances that impart specific functional properties to the end product. Examples of such substances include antimicrobial agents, mosquito repellents, perfumes, an emulsifier, coloring dye, and the like.
Conventionally, property modifying agents are added in a polymer through master-batch route, wherein the master-batch is a concentrate prepared by melt compounding of property modifying agents and the polymer. However, some of thermally sensitive property modifying agents degrades during melt compounding. Further, the fumes resulting from these thermally sensitive agents during melt-compounding process are toxic and they pose serious hazards to human and animal health as well as to the environment.
There is, therefore, felt a need for a method for incorporating the property modifying agents in the polymer during the manufacturing of the polymeric product from the polymer which obviates the method step of melt-compounding thereby avoiding the thermal degradation of property modifying agents. Also, there exists a need for a method that allows incorporation of small amount of property modifying agents in the polymer during the manufacturing of the polymeric product from the polymer.